KARACHI: An exhibition of a coffee-table book was organized by Pervaiz Akhtar, President of the German-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with Dr Ruediger Lotz, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The event was held to commemorate the release of a book featuring the drawings by the German artist Ute Elpers, titled “Landmarks of Pakistan,” and took place on Thursday, at the German Consulate General.
The chief guest at the event was Arshad Wali Muhammad, Caretaker Minister for Tourism, Environment and Climate Change.
Ute Elpers (1935-2019) was a highly gifted artist trained as a porcelain and ceramic painter who worked as a technical drawer in road and bridge construction. She also learned the art of using special ink pens.
In 2003 Ute became member of the Humanity Care Foundation based in Muenster, Germany. She was encouraged by Col Folker Flasse (retd), President of Humanity Care Foundation, a charitable organization registered in Germany and Pakistan, to support its humanitarian work in Pakistan.
In 2005 Ute started her pen and ink drawings of historic buildings, monuments, mausoleums, shrines and landscapes. She portrayed through her pen and ink drawings the rich and diverse architectural and cultural heritage of Pakistan.
The book “Landmarks of Pakistan” is dedicated to the memory of Ute Elpers, an artist with a humanistic spirit who helped those affected by natural disasters in Pakistan. Ute donated proceeds from the sale of her artwork to the Humanity Care Foundation to help people suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake and floods that hit Pakistan in 2005 and 2010.
To showcase Ute Elper’s beautiful artwork Shahid Kamal, former Ambassador to Germany, Folker Flasee and Professor Farrah Mahmood researched and compiled her drawings on landmarks of Pakistan in the form of a coffee table book. The book is a bilingual edition in both English and German.
Speaking on the occasion the Consul General of Germany, Dr Ruediger Lotz, expressed how impressed he was by the drawings and pictures. “This is a great example of how much the rich, centuries-old culture of Pakistan is appreciated in Germany!”
“Taking this opportunity, I would also like to announce that in accordance with the World Food Programme’s “Pakistan Country Strategic Plan January 2023 – December 2027”, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has contributed Euro 2,000,000 (two million Euro).”Consul General of Germany, Dr Lotz said.
In his vote of thanks, Pervaiz Akhtar, President of German-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) expressed gratitude to members of the German- Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and business entities with links to Germany for their gracious support in sponsoring the publication of the book. He said Ute Elper’s artwork helped to raise funds for Humanity Care Foundation in Germany, an organisation committed to humanitarian efforts in Pakistan, to help people affected by natural disasters.
The event was attended by a wide cross section of the people including, government officials, academics, business community, artists, and the media.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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